Electric Buses Are Over Half Of National Park Site’s Bus Fleet
Image Credit: Presidio Trust
May 6, 202630 minutes
Jake Richardson
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The Presidio in San Francisco is something of a gem with its open spaces and great views. For some period in its history, it served as a military base, but now it is home to nonprofit organizations, museums, and restaurants. The entire grounds cover 1,500 acres of land near the Golden Gate Bridge.
A free shuttle service carries passengers to and from the Presidio and has been operating since 2003. Five new electric buses will replace old fossil fuel buses soon. “Battery-electric buses have lower maintenance costs compared to the gas-fueled fleet. Their lower emissions help to improve air quality and reduce the impact of Trust operations on the environment. The upgrade makes the national park site’s fleet more than 50% electric,” Presidio Trust shares.
Electric buses use electric motors, which are much more energy efficient than motors in fossil fuel buses. They also do not directly generate toxic air pollution that harms human health, meaning the bus drivers and bus passengers are not exposed to particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, and volatile organic compounds. People near roads, highways, and interstates are also not exposed to it.
Electricity is much cheaper than diesel fuel and gasoline, and in San Francisco, some electricity is generated from clean, renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels transportation is only and always dirty.
The Presidio receives over 9 million visitors per year and the free shuttle service provided over 300,000 rides in one year.
I don’t know if the Presidio electric buses are charged with electricity from this source, but some San Francisco residents do use clean, renewable electricity. “For the first time in its history, CleanPowerSF delivered 100% renewable electricity to all 375,000 customers on its default Green service in 2023. This historic milestone, achieved two years ahead of the City’s Climate Action Plan target, was made possible through an energy mix of solar, geothermal, wind and hydroelectric.
“Providing 100 percent renewable electricity to our Green customers in 2023 makes San Francisco a healthier place to live. The choices we make today – and the actions we take – show the world that shifting from dirty to clean power is not only possible, but essential for protecting the planet for future generations,” said Dennis Herrera, General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
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